To persevere or to pivot is a question that do-ers have been asking themselves since the beginning of time. It’s never a straight road when you are doing something new, blazing a trail, breaking a ceiling, or pushing boundaries, so it’s only natural to wonder whether to give up midway. How do you know whether to keep going or to give up?

Evan Odeseye | Actor, Runway/Print model & Public Speaker

Honestly I feel like when it comes to the career you want to pursue you should never give up. I’m a firm believer in if you put in the time and work and continue to improve in your craft that its only a matter of time before your career will take off. My grandmother and mom instilled in me at a young age to never settle and always strive for better when It came to my career. They also said whatever I decided to pursue (Acting/Modeling) to be all in. I think what most people fail to realize is that other people pursuing the same journey as you is that their story is different. You don’t know what someone went thru to get to where they are. Society as a whole looks at the end result. Read more>>

Alan Lee | Professional Dancer, Real Estate Manager, Actor, Model

As an artist, I grapple with this question consistently. The reality is that many artists have high highs and low lows – anything in between takes extra effort to ignite the same passion we have behind our artform. We can go from the rush of performing for hundreds of people one day and then back to a 9-5 job the next. In my case, I know whether or not to keep going because I have learned to trust my own instinct. As a professional dancer, i’ve always had other jobs outside of just dancing to supplement my income. This is because i’ve always known that while performing was always a dream of mine, other dreams like owning a house, traveling, starting a family one day are all also dreams that are non-negotiable. Read more>>

Britton Litow | Fashion Stylist + Creative Consultant

I think there’s this feeling deep down that keeps me going. Something telling me that one day I will feel that sense of accomplishment and that ‘I made it’ feeling for myself. And I think that difference is really important. Someone from the outside might look at you and think ‘wow ya they are killing it’, but until I can get that sense from myself of myself I think that strives me forward. At least for me. It is a slippery slope however, as I know I tend to me my own harshest critic. I think a lot of us do. And let me tell you my standards for myself are HIGH. So I think it still is extremely important to take a second and appreciate every mile stone, listen to the outside praise, and really just appreciate how far I’ve come and that I’m even able to do what I love for a living. Read more>>

Linh Bui | Actor

Giving up is not an option. When you give up, life will continue to move forward without you. I just cannot imagine myself becoming a bystander watching everything and everyone else pass me by. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing my peers succeed and I’m definitely right beside them cheering on their wins. I just think that mindset of optimism and encouragement for your community becomes harder when you yourself are not fulfilling your potential. The life of an actor is not easy and yet it is a life I’ve chosen for myself. Every day you’re faced with high highs and low lows. When you’re at a low, you have to ask yourself, “Why am I really doing this?”. Read more>>